Responsibility…Anyone? Anyone?
The concept of being responsible for our actions seems to be one that is out of a lot of people’s grasp these days, whether in the business world or in our personal lives. It is amazing how hard it is for anyone to admit that something was their fault and do what they can to fix the problem. Two events have happened recently, on either end of the spectrum, that have really made me think about this. The first issue is on the negative side – we purchased a large quantity of dining chairs and bar stools from a well known manufacturer, who unfortunately doesn’t have a great reputation in the industry, nor does the local representative of the company. In hindsight, the order never should’ve been placed, and we will never do business with this company again… chalk it up to a learning experience. The specification for the product was sent to the local rep for quote, and on this spec was all the information about the fabric and how it should be applied, with a photo and all (it was a reversible fabric); the quote was sent back by this rep, and the purchase order was cut and sent to her approving her quote and allowing her to place the order with the factory. (There were other issues with this company and this order as well, but this is the worst…). Insert a couple months… the order arrives…the client calls to let me know that the fabric was applied incorrectly on 118 dining chairs and 13 barstools! I contact the rep, and her response? “The factory didn’t have the information on how to apply the fabric, so they can’t be responsible for it”. I have SO many problems with this response. First of all, if they didn’t know how to apply a reversible fabric, why didn’t they ask, instead of just flipping a coin? Secondly, when I replied “I sent you all of the information, even a picture of the fabric with the correct side up” (one side was red, one was cream, a huge difference), her response? “Yes, you sent it to me, but the factory never got it.”. Need I say more? The end result: rather than pursuing a legal battle and dragging it out even longer, we took responsibility and paid a local upholsterer to fix the problem (The company that made them incorrectly did pay half, how gracious of them! (insert sarcasm)). On a positive note, we had a company yesterday reach out to help fix a problem with a chair that arrived broken, even though they didn’t handle the freight on the order – they are sending a new frame at no charge just because they appreciate the business that we give them and wanted to save us a lot of hassle with a freight claim. Companies like that gain a great reputation in a small industry, and that is how they thrive and grow. Customer service is so very important, and can really make or break relationships. The company from my first story will never get my business again, nor will they get the business of many others that I’ve shared this experience with (although most others that I talk to have their own nightmares to share about this company). The moral of the story? Take responsibility for your actions. Be honest. Make sure when you look deep down, you know that you have done right by others. Be (wo)man enough to admit when you are wrong, and fix it!
Leave a Reply